Sibling Donor Cord Blood Banking for Children with Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract

Although hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has curative potential for selected patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), most patients who are eligible for transplantation do not have a suitable donor. Cord blood (CB) from a sibling could provide an alternative stem cell source that, while not as well established as marrow, may offer certain advantages for selected families. These potential advantages include low risk to the infant donor, the possibility that mismatched CB units from sibling donors may be acceptable for transplantation, prompt availability of a stored CB unit for transplant, and decreased risk of clinically significant graft-versus-host disease. When families with SCD (or other transplant-treatable condition) conceive a sibling, no comprehensive research resource exists to assist the family in collecting the new infant's CB. With support from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, we are developing a noncommercial research-based CB Banking Program specifically for medically indicated sibling donations. In preliminary experience, we have collected CB from 52 SCD families across 19 states. Of these, 2 CB units have thus far been used for transplantation and 9 others are HLA-identical. We conclude that a CB bank focusing on sibling-donations may be feasible, but further study is required to determine whether such a bank can collect CB units of sufficient quantity and quality to support controlled trials of sibling CB transplantation. Families with a specific medical need, such as those already caring for a child with SCD, should consider collecting sibling CB as part of comprehensive care if the opportunity becomes available.

Cord blood stem cell transplantation for haemoglobinopathies

“…US experience : Walters et al (2005) described their experience with the sibling donor cord blood (SDCB) program, based in Oakland, USA, updating previous reports from the same centre (Reed et al , 2003, 2000, 2001). This programme was established as the national comprehensive CB bank for medically indicated banking of sibling CB in the USA.…”

Related cord blood banking for haematopoietic stem cell transplantation

“…Reed et al investigated CB banking for siblings evaluating the feasibility to standardise procedures, quality assurance systems and costs (Reed et al, 2000(Reed et al, , 2001. Herein, we report our experience about harvesting, testing, cryopreservation and storage of related CB collections.…”